Day Two started out nice and clear and sunny. Still a bit brisk, but with a warm sun, it promised to be a beautiful day. We set the navigation aid (which we named Helga) in our Mercedes Benz C180 rental to bring us to Neuschwanstein Castle in the town of Schwangau. The nav aid was indispensible during our trip. It was tied in with the German highway traffic reporting system, so whenever we were about to come up to a traffic jam, it efficiently directed us around it. The radio was also tied in so that even though the radio was off, it would turn on briefly to play the traffic messages. Pretty cool.
Here’s a picture of our faithful steed stopped beside a tiny village where picturesque scenery was all around.
Our local area in IL is flat to the horizons in all directions. Germany, therefore, left us gaping at incredible scenery. Just stepping out of the car near this little village yielded these stunning pictures. Note how the frost is creating shadow images of the trees wherever they cast shadows.
As you approach Schwangau, the first not-to-be-missed sight is the Chapel of St. Coloman, built in 1678.
Turn around after shooting pics of the chapel and you see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles in all their substantial glory. Hohenschwangau is where King Ludwig II of Bavaria was born and raised. He had Neuschwanstein built within sight of his childhood home. Like I said before, the Ludwig crowd is big on swans.
At the base of the castle area there are numerous hotels and restaurants and gift shops, as would be expected. It’s also where you buy your tickets to tour the castle. On this day there was no bus service to the castles, so you had to either hike the uphill mile to Neuschwanstein or wait for a space in one of the horsedrawn buggies. We hiked it. We opted to just see Neuschwanstein, but were soon wondering if we’d have been better off with the shorter hike to Hohenschwangau, which was just up off the road a ways.
The views from the waiting area just below Neuschwanstein are tremendous. Again, note the frost shadow from the treeline.
The signs as you enter the courtyard to wait for your tour indicate that cameras aren’t allowed inside the castle, but they do let you bring them in. You just can’t take any pictures inside the castle. I’d imagine the reason is twofold. One, it would greatly slow down the tour pace, and two, they can sell you pictures of the inside. You can take pictures out of the windows, although the same views can be seen from outside the castle.
I wanted the classic image of Neuschwanstein taken from Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) further up the hill behind the castle. I knew the trail up there would also have some great views of Hohenschwangau.
The bridge itself is not for the faint of heart. It’s narrow and was ice covered the day we were there. It’s a long way down to the bottom of the gorge it spans.
After the additional climb up to Marienbrücke and slip-sliding my way out onto the bridge, I was shocked and disappointed to see virtually the entire side of Neuschwanstein covered in scaffolding. Such is the price one pays for traveling off-season.
The last time I was here at Schwangau, back in the mid-80′s, it was summertime and there were dozens of hang gliders sailing around. If you look at the center of this image at the top of the ridge, you can see a building with a flat roof. That’s where they were launching from. It takes some serious nerves to throw yourself off that ledge.
After a great lunch in one of the restaurants near the base, we set out for Oberammergau.
Oberammergau is famous for the “Passionsspiele” or Passions Play that is held there every 10th year. The next run is 15 May through 3 October, 2010. Then it will be gone until 2020. I’m guessing it’s already too late to get rooms in the local area.
The theatre itself is a marvel to behold. The stage is semi-open air, but it has a huge movable roof which can be raised or lowered to suit the elements.
I couldn’t get into the stage area, but I shot this image through the door. You can see where the stage is open to the outside.
The village surrounding the theatre is touristy, but fascinating. There are buildings which advertise vacation apartments, which I’m sure must already be taken for the coming Passions Play season.
Oberammergau is a great place to spend the day. Shops and restaurants everywhere. The shops sell everything from pewter to cuckoo clocks (of course).
On the way back to our hotel in Munich, we passed through the small town of Ettal, where there is a monastery. We were too tired to stop, though. Next time, maybe.
Red Sox Management – Enough with the AAA guys and trying to reclaim has-beens. Get some real pitching, please.
Cadillac, MI – We’ve been here several times before, but this is my first visit in the summer. The town is totally different. All decked out with flowers and very much alive with festivals and folks walking around and lots going on at the lake. The weather has been perfect, too.
GOP Whiners – Ok, I know it’s just childish tit-for-tat because the Dems blasted W for his excessive time away from the Oval Office. But c’mon, Obama deserves a bit of time away and it’s not like he’s completely isolated. Someday maybe the GOP will find something constructive to say. Maybe.
